Haunted
by abovethenightsky
Summary: Dark threeshot, slight AU. “Oh, Light-kun…” The man sighed patronizingly, as if Light should already know. “You broke my Lawli. You broke him, and now I can’t play with him anymore.” B finds Light. Spoilers. COMPLETE.
1. Stalked

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Haunted

**Act One: Stalked**

In the few days after L's death, Light had to glance twice whenever he turned a corner. He still thought he saw Ryuzaki, bored, accusatory, biting his thumb and ready with some snarky remark, as his reflection, staring at him in mirrors, or as a shadowy silhouette in the halos of streetlights. It was just paranoia, though, an aftereffect, a sort of visual imprint left on Light's subconscious by the detective. But L was gone, and Kira had won. It just took Light's mind a while to get around that, that was all.

When L showed up again, a year later, Light began to think it was something a bit more serious.

There were just glimpses, at first. Light would be crossing the street when he noticed a man in loose blue jeans and a wrinkled white shirt staring at him from the other curb. He would look again and the man would vanish. Or Light would see him, walking across the street in broad daylight, staring guiltily with unblinking eyes. And then Light would run after him and catch up just in time to see a bare foot flash behind the corner of a building, into a dead-end alleyway—and disappear, as if L had never been there at all, as if he had been just a ghost, lurking.

Light was determined not to be haunted. He wasn't being haunted, goddammit. He wasn't going crazy. He was sure that all emotion dealing with L's death had been rolled away and tucked aside. _He_, Light Yagami, was L now. _He_ was.

Besides, phantoms didn't leave physical evidence. And, one day, when he was chasing after L's ghost, he stepped on something that crinkled under his shoe. He stopped the chase, which, he had learned by now, was a lost cause, to pick it up.

It was only a scrap of paper, no bigger than a house key, adorned in simple black ink with the Arabic numeral _13_. Light couldn't say how, but he knew it had come from the L impersonator. Thirteen was, somehow, a clue.

"I'm think I'm being stalked," he said to Aizawa the next morning.

Aizawa looked up from his coffee in surprise, blinking the sleep away from his eyes, clearly unsure if he'd heard Light correctly. "What?"

"Stalked," Light repeated. "There's a strange man following me. I keep seeing him when I walk to university."

Aizawa was silent for a minute, contemplating. "Light, answer me honestly." His voice was very quiet, deadly serious. "Do you think it's Kira? Do you think he's found you?"

Light laughed. "If it were Kira, I'd be dead already. Kira doesn't wait. It isn't Kira. Although," he added belatedly, "we shouldn't rule out the possibility. In the words of my predecessor, though, there's a 97 percent chance that he isn't."

"Well, has he done anything to you?" Aizawa asked, considering this.

"No, that's the odd thing. All he does is stare at me." Light rubbed his forehead. "But he's been so consistent that I can't have any doubt, and it's beginning to unnerve me. When I try to approach him, he flees."

"Do you want someone to follow you?" Aizawa offered. "Mogi or I would be happy to act as a bodyguard for a couple of days. We can't afford to lose you now, Light, and it would be easy to shadow you."

Light shook his head. If Aizawa or Mogi _saw_ this man, it would validate Light's sanity, but it would raise too many questions. And it would only make Light more paranoid. If Aizawa or Mogi were to see something that would implicate him as Kira... "I don't think that will be necessary," he said. "He seems harmless right now. I was just wondering what I can do about it. Myself."

Aizawa thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "Try not to go anywhere alone," he said. "Keep a cell phone on you at all times." He paused. "And just be _careful_, Light."

"I will," Light promised, standing. "By the way, does the number 13 mean anything to you?"

"Aside from those Western superstitions, no, I can't say it does. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Light fingered the paper in his pocket absentmindedly. "Thank you, Aizawa. We should be getting to work."

The paper kept bothering Light, though. Thirteen…yes, it did have "those Western superstitions" attached to it, but what could it mean? Was the L imitator trying to imply that Light was unlucky? He had to be wrong there. Light was one of the most fortunate men in the world, although luck, by a traditional definition, really had little to do with that. Light's luck rested in strategic planning and easy-to-manipulate Death Gods. So why thirteen?

When he arrived at his apartment that night, he barely greeted Misa, brushing past her and closing the door to his office. He didn't even bother with the main light, instead sitting in his chair and turning on the desk lamp. Withdrawing the paper from his pocked, he studied it. He could have it analyzed for forensic evidence, but how much could that tell him? There wasn't enough writing on it for it to be a proper handwriting sample, and Light's fingerprints had been all over it. Chances are, that would be a dead end. Thirteen…Arabic numerals…L was the twelfth letter in the English alphabet, so maybe…M? M followed L. Was this man, the one who dressed like L, trying to assert that _he_ was the proper successor?

Suddenly agitated—how _dare_ he—Light stood and paced, and, feeling that this room was too small, opened the door. Misa was sitting in the couch in a negligee, looking a little confused. "I'm going for a walk," he told her, grabbing his jacket. "I'll be back soon. Don't follow me."

"But Misa—" Light closed the door on her response and hurried down the stairs. Seven flights of stairs. In his haste, he barely noticed them. His mind was too preoccupied, to flighty. So someone else, then, knew of L's death. How?

The Tokyo streets at night were too bright and loud for Light to properly clear his head. He stopped and held his head in his hands and groaned. Someone was walking around the city right then, someone who might know Light's identity. But what could he do? He couldn't sit there feeling helpless. That wasn't how Kira operated.

He could find out how the bastard worked. Maybe…maybe by retracing his steps would help. If he could mentally map out where he saw the mysterious L, it might yield some kind of clue. Light began to walk the same route that he walked every morning. One block…two blocks. The man couldn't possibly vanish into thin air when Light pursued him. He was just fast. He wasn't a phantom, and Light wasn't being haunted.

Four blocks. This was the first place he had seen the man, peering at him from across the street. In the glow of the streetlight, though, Light could see no one. Of course. It was nighttime. He wouldn't _be_ here. Light was being paranoid. He began to turn around.

"So, little Light-kun finally decided to come out and join the party."

Light froze. There was someone behind him. Standing so close to him. He could feel whoever it was breathing down his neck.

"Don't bother turning around," the man said. "You already know what you're going to see, henh henh henh."

That laugh…that grating laugh. It was so familiar. It was like Ryuk's laugh, or a Shinigami laugh. The man was right; Light knew exactly who it had to be. "Who are you?" he barked, trying to sound authoritative. "What do you want?"

Silence.

"Are you M?" Light tried.

That laugh again, this time a soft chuckle. "Oh no," said the man, his voice low and dangerous and really not sounding anything like L's. "Oh no no no. M is somewhere far away. Far away. M won't bother Light-kun for a long time."

_Shit_. The man was obviously insane, and Light was unarmed. He had a pen, and the piece of Death Note in his watch, but without the man's name, or Misa's eyes to figure it out, that was practically useless. Best to keep talking. Keep him distracted, and then strike when he wasn't expecting it. Light was strong, he could manage. "How do you know my name?"

"Henh henh…" The stalker inched closer. "No one's name is safe, Light-kun. You should know that by now. Not one name is safe from me when I have these pretty eyes. You'd know all about the eyes, wouldn't you?"

He was talking about the Shinigami eyes. Light broke a sweat. "You…do you have a notebook?"

A pause. "Why would I need a notebook?" asked the man innocently. "There are much better ways to kill someone. More fun." He paused again. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try any of them on you."

That gave Light very little comfort. After all, there were other things that the man could do to him, and there would be no one else around to witness them. Just be wary. Just stay on guard. Just keep talking. "What do you want?" he asked again, clearly. At least his voice didn't betray him.

"Oh, Light-kun…" The man sighed patronizingly, as if Light should already know. "You broke my Lawli. You broke him, and now I can't play with him anymore."

_The hell…?_

Light whirled around, but the man was, somehow, already gone.

* * *

_A/N: "The hell" indeed. Before you ask, I don't have any idea. Everyone else was writing stories about B, and he's a pretty spiffy dude, my lovely/scary beta Lena liked this story, and I've been wanting to write an insane character lately. So, I bring you this._

_The author's note comes at the end because I wanted to give you a chance to read the story before I answered some questions. So:_

_Rating - T, and will stay there._

_Pairings - B/Light. WHAT THE HELL. Also, mentioned B/L and Light/L._

_Parts - 3._

_For those of you who've read _MissUnderstanding_, this is completely different. The tone is darker, and it isn't supposed to be funny, although Beyond Birthday makes some people laugh anyway._

_Curious for your opinion, as always,_

_D_


	2. Discovered

_A/N: THIS CHAPTER WAS SUPPOSED TO GO UP YESTERDAY. I AM SO SORRY. My house was stuck by lightning - no lie. Everything is okay (yay lightning rods), but my internet is on the fritz.  
_

_Ten reviews on a first chapter? You guys are crazy cool. Thanks to **TwistedLilBarbie, judikickshiney, Rin Cho, Serria, Miss-Lena, Meng-4-2, AngeloftheOdd, CaeliaDanan, Xhadow Kiss, **and **Mod.or.Rocker**._

_I love B like you guys do. He's intriguing, and, currently, my favorite psychopath. I see a lot of B/L out there, and that makes some sense, seeing as B's fascination with L might drive him to, er…the feeling probably isn't mutual. There's also, of course, a lot of L/Light. I_ don't _see a lot of B/Light, and I have to confess that I wrote this story as a kind of spur of the moment thing, because the concept intrigued me (as my lovely/scary beta Lena put it, "B/Light is like L/Light, except kinkier, a little less consensual, and with more jam"). If Light is now L, and B is alive…_

_You'll have to see. Act Two is up! Act Three, the last one, will probably be up in a week._

_MAJOR _Another Note _spoilers in this chapter. Enjoy! Henh henh henh…_

_D _

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* * *

**

Act Two: Discovered

When Light got back to his apartment he was in no mood to deal with anyone, much less Misa. Ignoring her questions, he locked himself in his office, collapsed in his chair, and groaned. What the _hell_ was this? It was bad enough to have some crazy stalker trailing him, much worse to have one who imitated L, but this guy knew about the notebooks, and the Shinigami eyes, and who knew how much else, and Light knew absolutely nothing about him.

Calm down. Think. Think. He had started off this way with L, with a clean slate, and he could do it again. Were there any clues in what the man had said? He'd start there and work his way up.

There were a couple of things. A couple of very peculiar things. The man claimed to possess the Shinigami eyes. Light had no idea if he could take his stalker's word for that—there were, after all, other ways of finding out Light's name—but it seemed, oddly enough, to be a plausible explanation. With all of the supernatural phenomena Light had experienced, encountering someone with Shinigami eyes seemed almost ordinary.

But he needed something more concrete than that. The stalker had mentioned a Lawli. Light had "broken" Lawli. Who else could Lawli have been but L? The man was clearly deranged; if he had encountered L in the past he might very well have come up with some sort of sick pet name for him. So _if_ Lawli was L, then the man definitely knew that Light was Kira, which gave him much more power over Light than Light would have liked. He wouldn't stand for this. He'd have to find some way around it. He couldn't let some random figure from L's past show up as a threat to his authority.

What else was there? The man had laughed when Light mentioned M. So an M did exist? _Was_ that M a successor to L? Maybe the man was toying with him. Either way, he seemed to know much more about L or some sort of L-related system than Light ever had. Light sighed, frustrated.

The only remaining clue was the number 13. Light had thought it was some kind of key to the man's identity, but if he wasn't M, then what could it be? Momentarily stuck, he took the little piece of paper out of his pocket and stared at it, unblinking, until the lines bled together in the dim light.

_1 3._

_13._

_B._

Light rubbed his eyes. B? The letter was so far up the alphabet as to be almost absurd, but if there was an L and an M, there could definitely be a B. Why not? It was within the realm of possibility; in fact, it was just about the only thing that made sense at that moment.

So, B (if that was who he was) knew an M…and B knew L. And B knew about him. And B was clearly deranged. That was what Light knew so far. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Well, if this B character was a figure from L's past, then the best place to start would be old case files. Light booted up his computer, a little too impatient. Every second wasted was another second B was out there, running around, with Light's identity on the tip of his tongue. It was all going too slowly, and Light kicked his desk in frustration.

Finally, the files were open. Light barely even knew what he was looking for. Was he supposed to search through them _all_? There were over 3,000 of them! Maybe if he searched for a file involving the letter B, starting with the most recent cases and going backwards, he would find a clue. It would be easy to searc hta tway; all of L's case files were (annoyingly) in English.

Em**b**ezzlement cases flashed before his eyes, and the **B**angladesh Diplomat Murders, and the **B**angkok Drug **B**ust, and the LA**BB** Serial Murder Case, and the…wait. LA**BB**. Initials. That sounded promising. Light clicked on that file.

**The Los Angeles Beyond Birthday Serial Murders**

**Victims:** Backyard Bottomslash  
Quarter Queen  
Believe Bridesmaid

**Key figures:** L  
Beyond Birthday  
Naomi Misora

Light had to smile at that. He remembered Misora. He'd killed her way back in the days when he'd just stared out as Kira, when she'd gotten a little too nosy for everyone's good. Apparently, she had been a capable FBI agent before retiring to appease her fiancé. Somehow, seeing her name put him in a better mood. He scanned the details of the case, smirking.

The Beyond Birthday from the case could easily be B. Psychotic, apparently. A lunatic. A genius, but a lunatic. He'd killed three people in cold blood just to get L to _pay some attention to _him. He proceeded to then lead Misora around, masquerading as a private detective named—Light almost laughed—Rue Ryuzaki, claiming that he was helping her solve the case. He'd planned everything out, apparently, to make L look like a fool, and almost succeeded. Beyond Birthday had been about to take his own life, and therefore leave the case unsolved forever, when Misora had burst in, apprehending him just before he'd set himself on fire. He'd been committed to an asylum in California, but had escaped soon after. _Hell_. So _this_ was what Light was dealing with.

Light leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. It seemed that B had had quite the obsession with L. Maybe it had gone even more deeply than the case suggested. B called L "Lawli," after all, and somehow thought that L belonged to him. Light absentmindedly speculated about the odds of them meeting met face-to-face.

L had never liked being touched, Light remembered suddenly. Not by Light, not at first, at least. It had taken a lot of persuasion. Light had been an "innocent" then, brainwashed, sans memory, and it hadn't occurred to him to question if there was a deeper reason for it. He'd thought that L was hesitant because Light was his Kira case suspect. But L had…L, Ryuzaki, had come around, sooner or later, and by then it didn't really matter what his motives for his previous actions were. But if there had been something else, another reason, a _deeper_ reason, perhaps this B had…

_Had what?_ Light wondered, feeling disgusted. He wanted the answer. He needed the answer. L's past, L's memories—now that he was L, Light felt entitled to them. And when he found out, he would write Beyond Birthday's name in the notebook, and kill him.

For some stupid, lingering, sentimental memory of L, if nothing else.

Light now had a plan. The next morning, he let himself sleep a little later. He headed straight to that day's classes to give himself the extra time he wanted, instead of stopping by headquarters first thing to get some "casework" done. He kissed Misa goodbye, and apologized for the previous night's behavior. She was, as always, all too easy to forgive him.

"You seem so distracted, Light," she said, her voice full of naïve concern. "Won't you tell me what the matter is?"

"It's Kira case business," he replied stiffly. "Confidential. I need to ask Ryuk a question about it, though."

Upon hearing his name, Ryuk, who had been hovering comically over the porcelain fruit bowl, looked over at them. "Hmm?"

"Ryuk, have you ever heard of someone who didn't own a notebook but possessed the Shinigami eyes?" Light ran a hand though his hair. "Just out of curiosity."

"Well." Ryuk plucked an apple from the bowl and tossed it in the air. "I've never heard of that happening to a human. Usually they have to give up half of their lifespan to get the eyes. I don't know any way around it, Light, so you're out of luck." He bit into the apple. "Hyuk hyuk. Keep in mind that that doesn't mean it isn't possible. No one ever said that the trade was the _only _way to get the eyes."

Light sighed in exasperation. He _hated_ the ambiguities in the Shinigami laws. "It was worth a try. I'll see you both later." Grabbing his jacket, he headed out the door and shut it behind him.

The day was clear and sunny, but cool, and Light shrugged on his jacket almost immediately, pausing in the street, and running a hand through his hair again. Now that B had revealed himself once, he'd probably be less hesitant about approaching Light. Light had figured that into his plan as well. But, then again, B was insane...B was unpredictable. He sighed.

Light glanced around to make sure B was nowhere in sight, but the only people he saw were students on their way to school and businessmen on their way to work. It was incredible, Light mused, just how normal he looked, how well he fit in with these people. No one would guess by looking at him that he had so many secrets. He appeared to be a normal, handsome, if a tad bit serious, college student. Appearances could hide so much.

Or, they could say everything. B was waiting for him at the fourth block of his walk, looking as crazy and suspicious as ever. When Light approached him, he didn't run. Not this time, now that he was out in the open. He watched Light approach with his head tilted to one side. It was Light's move now.

"B," Light said coolly. "You're B."

"Good morning to you, too," said B, grinning, bowing mockingly. "You're a little late, Light-kun. I was almost afraid you wouldn't show up." He straightened and shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "I have a present for you, if you want it."

"Is it something I'll like?" Light asked calmly, knowing that B couldn't do anything to him with all of these people around.

"Henh henh. Very good, very good. Do you like answers?" B's eyes glinted in the early morning sun. Close up, he didn't look as much like L as Light thought. He was a little taller, a tiny bit heavier. Probably a little younger. Those dark circles under his eyes were most likely fake, the work of make-up. _Sick_, how far the man went to imitate L. Utterly twisted.

"I like answers much as anyone else," Light said, edging back a little. "What do _you_ want from me?"

"Nothing of consequence," B replied. "Nothing you can't be bothered to part with, Light-kun, and nothing I can't get from you. Just you, that's all I need."

What the _hell_ did that mean? Light felt B press a piece of paper into his palm, and looked at him quizzically.

"And make sure to show up," B said. "Otherwise I may have to reconsider what I said about not killing you. Although you're really too pretty a prize to lose." Light stepped back, intentionally showing a little fear, because he knew it was what B wanted. B closed in, not too close—there were people around, after all—but close enough. "I'm sure you've figured out by now that I usually take without asking," he whispered. "Don't disappoint me."

The traffic signal changed, just then, and B walked away down the sidewalk. Light stood still for a few seconds, trying to take it all in, then crossed the street, glancing behind him a couple of times to make sure the other man was gone. Although unnerved, he felt confident. This was alright. This was good. Light had planned for something like this.

Light didn't really need to pay attention in his classes at that point, he never did, so he sat, instead, studying the slip of paper B had given him. Pretty easy to understand. No riddles this time, just a time and a place. A hotel. No specific room number, just a name. Light, however, was willing to bet that "thirteen" would somehow be significant in determining B's exact location.

He was oddly quiet at headquarters that afternoon, contemplative. He's sent most of the investigation team off to work on some menial task: Ide was monitoring the televisions, and Mogi was sorting through lists of Kira's recent most victims. Only Aizawa and Matsuda remained in the room with him. Matsuda was, somehow, oblivious to Light-kun behaving in such an un-Light-kun-like way, but Aizawa noticed, as planned.

After a few minutes of trying to decide whether or not to mention it, he asked, "Light, are you alright?" And that was the cue.

"What?" Light shook his head. "Oh, I'm fine. I just had a late night last night. Coffee, Matsuda? I hate asking, but just this once? Please?"

Matsuda started, nodded, and ran off to get Light his coffee.

Aizawa glanced to make sure he was gone and then dropped his voice. "Did anything happen with what you asked about yesterday?"

"No," Light replied, blinking back to reality. He smiled at the lie; it rolled so easily off his tongue. "Nothing happened. Not really. But I'm going to need a favor."

* * *

_Dear Light,_

_Do agree to meet a psychopath in a hotel room, alone. Ever._

_Thanks,_

_Vaguely Concerned Author_

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	3. Trapped

_A/N: Last chapter, guys! Questions shall be answered! Thanks to **Rain.E.Day, Serria, Xhadow Kiss, Mod.Or.Rocker, Shadow-L-Chan, Meng-4-2, CaeliaDanan, judikickshiney, Necrophiliac1118,**_ _and **Andrea Tyler** for_ _reviews!_

_So, this chapter seems a little sudden, but this was always going to be a threeshot, so, here's my third shot. Shot of what, exactly? I can't really say. I was possessed by a free-floating B muse when I wrote this thing (a couple of weeks ago) and you know how those can be._

_If you guys have been holding out for the B/Light, it's in here, not in a terribly consensual way. I mean, what did you think B meant the last chapter when he said he takes without asking?_

_-smacks self- BE WARNED._

_With any luck, the first chapter of my new story, _Friendly Fire_, should be up tomorrow. It's my long project du jour, getting a lot of the characters together in a serious AU setting (not like _MissUnderstanding_), and I think you guys will like it. Suspense, action, everything._

_Thank you all so much! Glad to know I'm not the only one with a soft spot for B!_

_Much love,_

_D_

**

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Act Three: Trapped

Light headed out to the hotel at 9:00 pm, just as B's note had indicated. It was a nice hotel, not inexpensive, and not too far away from the Kira Case Headquarters—how convenient. B was so thoughtful that way.

Feeling, strangely, not too nervous, Light approached the front desk and cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he asked, somehow knowing which name to give. "Do you have a Rue Ryuzaki listed?"

The concierge looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back, guarded, polite. "Rue Ryuzaki, huh?" She typed the name into her computer. "Yeah, he's here."

_Of course_._ So predictable, B. _"Could you please tell me which room he's in?"

She glanced back at the screen. "Hmm, that's funny…Room 1313. Would you like me to call him for you?"

"No, that's alright. He's expecting me." 1313. _BB_. Light wondered vaguely how B had managed to swing that.

He headed for the elevator and pressed the button, tapping his foot lightly on the carpet as he waited for it to come. He couldn't help that he was impatient. Fidgeting, he glanced at his watch. 9:03pm, 30 seconds. 45 seconds. Timing was key. Light straightened his jacket and waited.

When the elevator came, it was empty. Light and a woman, heavy-set, foreign, boarded. He stood on the other end, keeping his distance, and paying no attention to her, too preoccupied with what awaited him thirteen floors up. The woman got off on the fourth floor, just as another passenger joined him, slinking past her in the doorway.

"You need the room key," said Beyond Birthday. "Besides, I thought you'd get lonely, henh henh. Nine floors is a long way to go."

Light said nothing as the doors closed and the elevator began to move again, shaking them a little as it did.

"It's no fun if you aren't talking back," B pressed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try anything in here. Not enough time."

Light glared at him. "So, you're going to try something elsewhere, I assume."

"Oh, you know what they say, Light-kun." B stifled a giggle. "Do or do not, there is no try. I plan on _doing_. Succeeding." He eyed Light, a fly caught in his web. It was such an odd expression for L's face to be wearing. "And I don't expect you to put up much of a fight."

"You don't," Light said dryly. "Why is that?"

"Oh, _you_ know." B leaned his head on Light's shoulder and brushed the side of Light's face with his fingers. "You're intrigued by me, even if I am a criminal. I have Lawli's face. And you…" He toyed with one of the buttons of Light's shirt. "You miss Lawli's face, _Light-kun_."

The elevator dinged. Perfect timing. "We should get out," Light managed uncomfortably. "We're here."

"Oh, so we are. Follow me."

B walked out of the elevator in the same, hunching way that L always had, which disgusted Light. This man, this _thing_, was not L, no matter how hard he tried to imitate him. The childish mannerisms which L wore seemed somewhat menacing on Beyond Birthday, his inversion, his confused counterpart. Still…there was a strange truth to what B had said. Light needed L out of the way to achieve his goals as Kira, but he had, somehow, regretted killing him. And with B here, acting the way he did, Light was remembering some of the things he had tried so very hard to forget over the past year.

B inserted the key card into the slot, holding it with his thumb and index finger. The little light on the lock flashed green, and he turned the handle, letting Light in before closing the door behind them and locking it.

"Would you like something to eat?" B asked politely. "Although I'm not sure how fond you are of strawberry jam. It's all I have."

"That's alright," Light said, leaning up against a dresser and pressing a hand to the handle. He removed his jacket and set it on the top. "I know better than to accept anything edible from a serial killer."

"Oh, so you _have_ read up on me." B was pleased. "Flattered. Henh henh. Although I must say, that's an incredibly ironic statement coming from you, Light-kun." He bared his teeth in a grin. "Won't you sit down? The bed is extremely comfortable."

"Forget it, B. It won't be that easy." Light paced around the room, stopping just short of the queen-sized mattress. The room was a bit too small for his liking. "You promised me answers."

"So I did." B climbed into a chair and sat exactly like L had, with his feet flat on the seat and his knees pressed to his chest. "Well, ask what you like, I'll see if I can satisfy."

What did he mean, "_see_ if I can satisfy?" He either knew or he didn't. Light shook his head. "What was your relationship with L?"

"Ooh," said B. "The jackpot." He giggled. "Let's just say I probably have more of a right to the title of L than you do. Lawli was my idol when I was young. Not too much older than I, but so bright, so brilliant, that's what they said. That was my Lawli. You didn't even know his real name, did you?" Light shook his head, and B sighed, disappointed and oddly reminiscent. "L Lawliet. Lawli. I was raised to succeed him, but I wanted to go farther, to surpass him. And I tried." He laughed again, that harsh, grating laugh. "Oh, how I tried. I tried every way I could to beat him. My beautiful little Lawli…" He stared off into space for a few seconds, and Light swore he saw a glint of red in those wide, crazy eyes. "He liked to pretend he didn't know me, and he told that Misora girl he'd never met me, but oh, he knew me. And I knew him. I thought the only way to beat him was to become a criminal, a criminal who he couldn't catch, so I did several criminal things. More than several, and very criminal. Henh henh. You know about the Serial Murders, but those were the tip of the iceberg. It was all for him, though. All for Lawli."

Light was repulsed. "What did you do to L, B?" he asked quietly, feeling nauseous.

B shook his head, cracked his neck. "Not yet. You'll find that out later." He reached under his chair and drew out a container of strawberry jam. He licked his lips as he unscrewed the cap. "Next question."

"Who's M?"

B, his fingers in the jar of jam, looked up. "Uh-uh," he said, withdrawing his fingers and licking them off. "That one's off limits. You have to find about M and N when they get to you. And trust me, Light-kun, they _will_ get to you. They're very determined when they put their little minds to work."

M _and_ N? _That's no answer_. Light opened his mouth to protest B's evasion, to ask for further explanation, and then closed it, realizing it would do no good to try to reason with this man. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he snapped. "How did you know about me?"

"That's the easiest one," B said, shrugging, licking around the edge of the jam jar. "I followed Lawli here, and he led me to you. I only had to follow you a little while to figure out just who you were." He smirked. "Lawli kept you on a chain, I remember. Pretty little plaything, weren't you? That's what I thought, anyway. That's what I would have done if I had you on a chain. Played with you."

Light forced a bitter laugh, increasingly wary. "I'm glad I was handcuffed to L, then. So how did you end up with Shinigami eyes, if you don't—"

B capped the jam and set it aside, as if he suddenly weren't hungry. "Sorry," he said. "You're out of questions. You've had four already, and I answered three of them. And there's one more I still have to answer. One and three is four. And do you know what else it is?"

"B," Light hissed. "B, don't screw with me."

In two swift strides, B had crossed to Light and pushed him onto the bed. Like L, he was much stronger than he looked. "I just love it when you say my name, you know," he murmured in Light's ear. "And, henh henh, screwing with you is exactly what I plan on doing."

Sitting on Light's torso to keep him down, B pulled a length of rope out from under the pillow. Ignoring Light's flailing legs, he somehow managed to tie Light's wrists together and loop the rope around the headboard. "You're not making this easy, you know," he said, reaching for more rope. "You're much easier than Lawli was, though. I had to drug him to get him here, and then I had to wait for him to wake up." He pressed a quick kiss to Light's temple and moved lower to bind his ankles. Light twisted and turned, but it wasn't easy to shake B's hands off once they were on him, and he was soon, effectively, tied to the bed. With this feat accomplished, B laid his head on Light's chest and sighed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Light snapped threateningly. "Do you know who you're dealing with? I know your name, Beyond Birthday."

"I know you do," B said. "But you wanted to know what I did to Lawli, so I'm going to show you, the new L. You're entitled to it. You've inherited it." He kissed Light's neck.

"So, what are you going to do?" Light asked. "Kill me?"

"What, right now? Or do you mean after?" B laughed. "No, Light-kun. Not now, and not after. It's not your turn to die yet." He giggled.

"I'm going to _kill_ you," Light growled.

"I know." B sighed. "But it's worth it. So very worth it. You're L, after all. Kira, too. Aren't I lucky?" He sat back and admired his prize. "And you _are_ pretty," he mused. "Very pretty. In such a conventional way. Not like Lawli, of course. Lawli had that dark hair and all of those interesting angles. Lawli was beautiful." He looked up at Light. "But you must know all of this already."

Light looked away.

"You left the shades open one night, you know," B continued. "I could see you two. I saw you kiss him. And I saw him...I saw him touch you back. And I was so…what's the word…_jealous_. I was jealous of Little Lighto, moving in on _my_ Lawli. What right did you have to him? How long did it take for you to convince him to let you in?"

"It doesn't matter," Light said sharply.

"But it _does,_ Light-kun." B began to unbutton Light's shirt with one of his hands, the one sticky with jam. The other hand stroked Light's shiny hair. "See, I know something you didn't know. There was a part of him that would never belong to you. I _took_ it from him. I had him, just like this. He was so…well, you can imagine. So _whole_ before I got my hands on him. And when I was through…it must have been the way you always dreamed of seeing him, lying there broken like that. You're Kira, after all, you would want it like that. And I don't think he let you see that side of him. I don't think he ever did."

"I don't believe you," Light said. "You're lying. He would never give in to you. He wouldn't let you break him. You've probably never even met him."

"I might be lying," B admitted. "But that's between me and Lawli, and one of us is dead. And the other isn't telling." He laughed. "So what's the difference?"

He kissed Light on the mouth, then, more gentle than Light would have expected. It surprised him. He wouldn't have reacted the way he did except that B looked like L, and B tasted like L, like strawberries, and B was so very, very persistent. Light closed his eyes and somehow forgot for a moment that B wasn't L, forgot where he was, and ended up kissing him back. B felt it and smirked into the kiss.

"I knew it," he said, pulling away, looking very satisfied. "Little Lighto misses B's Lawli. Isn't that right?"

"It's just…the strawberries…" Light managed. His mind was working at a mile a minute, protesting, trying to rationalize, _anything_.

"Hmm." B kissed him again, roughly, running his hands along Light's shoulders, behind them, and under his shirt, against his back. "You said it wouldn't be easy, but you were wrong. You're so easy. Little Lighto's so very, very easy. I probably didn't even _need_ to tie you up for this."

"You're wrong," Light snarled, glaring.

B smiled and nipped at his throat. "I don't think I am, Light-kun. Would you like a percentage? Lawli loved percentages."

He tried to jerk away from B, but B was on top of him, now, pinning him down. "Don't call me Light-kun."

"Why not? That's what Lawli called you." B trailed kisses down Light's chest. "Don't get so worked up over it. After all, names don't matter much in the real world unless they're written in one of your little black books." He began to fumble with Light's belt buckle. "You see, I'm not calling you L, even though you are L. In fact, I'd much prefer it if you called _me_ L." He smiled. "I'd like that very, very much."

"Not a chance," said Light. "It's been twenty minutes."

"What does that have to do with anything?" B asked. "Is Light-kun's coach going to turn into a pumpkin?"

"No." Light nodded at the hotel room door. "The police are here. If my timing is right."

B looked at the door, cocking his head to the side. Just that moment, there was a pounding on the door. "Open up in there!" someone called. It was Aizawa's voice. The pounding came again. "Open up! We know you're in there."

B blinked at Light, and a sudden understanding crossed his features. "You _cheated_."

Light shrugged as best he could with tied hands. "It wasn't _cheating_," he said. "I played by my own rules. You'd know all about that." He smiled. "This is the end, B."

B tilted his head to the side, then laughed again, one last time. "Henh henh henh. You know, I like you, Light-kun. I like your style." He leaned down. "I just want one more kiss, then, for the road. You wouldn't mind that, Light-kun. One kiss."

Because B took without asking, he went ahead and kissed Light anyway, and Light arched up into the kiss, because, for one more delicious, breathless moment, L was back.

Then the door burst open.

Someone grabbed B and got him off of Light, and someone else began to untie Light's hands. Aizawa. Concerned. "Damn," he said, eyeing the state of Light's shirt and pants. "You weren't kidding. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Light said, sitting up and rubbing his wrists, not the least bit mortified. "It's a good thing you got here when you did, otherwise…" He glared at B. "All of the evidence you need to convict him for sexual assault or attempted assault is on that camera I planted on the dresser. There's no audio, though."

"Pity," said B sarcastically. One of the other officers was handcuffing him. He looked something like a kicked puppy and Light wasn't sorry one bit, because he damn well deserved it.

"I can't say I approve of your methods, Light," Aizawa said. "There must have been some other way..."

Truthfully, there were many other ways, but none of them would get Light his answers. He didn't say this out loud and, instead, told Aizawa, "You didn't always approve of Ryuzaki's methods, and look how far he got."

"Yes," B murmured softly. "Do. Poor Lawli."

Aizawa shot B an odd look. "Ryuzaki's _dead_," he said to Light. "And you might have been killed, Light. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."

"I was fine," said Light, completely calm. "Although, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell my father about this. He's stressed enough as it is. He wouldn't approve of me running off and trying to catch the guy myself." He looked down, and, as if noticing the condition of his clothing for the first time, started to button up his shirt.

"True enough." Aizawa sighed. "I'd be worried sick if I were him. Jesus, Light, that was some damn reckless thing you did."

"Oh, believe me," Light said coolly. "I had everything under control."

Inside of his desk in his apartment, in the false bottom of a drawer, Beyond Birthday's name was written on the Death Note, with a few, incredibly crucial additional details. _Arrives in hotel room at 9:05pm with a guest. Is arrested by the police at 9:20pm. Dies three days later in prison from a heart attack_. Remembering that, Light had to smile.

_Sorry, Beyond_, he thought. _You should know better than to mess with Kira_.


End file.
